In Israel, the standard way to heat water is a solar heater with electric backup - usually you put the electric on a timer so that people who need to shower in the morning or at a particular time on cloudy days can get some extra hot. (We usually shower evenings - in the summer, I can wash all three kids and myself and not use electric heat for it - hubs showers in the morning, so he has to put the boiler on).

The instant hots are used in places where the builder installed a powder room with no hot water inlet, and you want to convert it to add a stall shower (for example, my brother's house has a split off apartment which he rents out, which doesn't quite work if there's nowhere for the renters to shower... (there's a kitchen, a living room, a bedroom, and a restroom, which has just enough space for a stall shower, but didn't have the pipes for one. perfect rental for parents who are visiting from the US and have a kid at Bar Ilan University which is a 5-minute walk away)

I have to call a being with a penis a "woman" because he identifies himself as a woman.I have to call a white who is white an "African-American woman" because she identifies herself as black.If I say anything about how crazy this is I am ridiculed.If the end is coming I wish it would get here soon.

Several years ago McDonald's decided to do away with the "Small" and/or "medium" labels and started to call them regular and large. I am not sure if the small was eliminated or they came up with a size in between small and medium or what, but there was this new "regular" size and a large size. At the time I asked for a medium drink and they were confused, because they didn't have that. "Did you mean 'Regular' sir? cause we don't have a medium." Just give me the mid size cup, the one above the small cup. There was a discussion about a drink where there didn't need to be one.Eventually they added the super-size size, which means they still had a small medium and large but it was called other things. The small was regular, the large was medium and the super-size was large. I am sure marketing and physiology people got together and decided it was better for business somehow.OnMonday I went into a McDonald's and order a "regular" iced coffee. The cashier was fine but the coffee clerk who heard me started screaming, yes screaming like I insulted her and her ancestors. She didn't know what that was.... "I don't know what he is talking about! We don't have a regular! What does that mean?!"I wanted to say something but if I did I would be all over youtube and facebook for treating a poor employee so horrible. Oh yeah, you are worth that $15 bucks an hour. On a side note I had also stopped into a Panara Bread over the weekend, they have self-ordering kiosks. I can tell these things are going to be every where and very popular.

After the greeting I get that message that EVERY phone system seems to use, that I need to listen because the menu options have changed. This greeting is on EVERY phone menu. I always wonder if every company has a set day that they all chance their menus. If by some phone system law every company changes their menus quarterly. In reality the last time they changed their phone system was 2007 they just haven't changed that part of the message. Then to add an insult they say "If you know your party's extension you can dial it at anytime." YOU JUST TOLD ME EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED FOR FUCK'S SAKE. That is a contradicting statement. Can I dial what I know or do I have to listen because everything has changed? YOU WHORE.

So I originally dialed a direct number to get service, I thought I could speak to a service person. NOPE, I get "For sales press 1, for service press 2, for parts press 3, for all other....." What was the point of the direct number?

@#!@$%!!!! I press 2. Then they are so busy that all their operators are busy and can't speak with me but they reassure me that my call is important to them.

Thank you for calling. Please listen closely, as our menu options have changed.
For quality assurance, this call may be monitored or recorded. To continue
in English, press 1. Para continuar en Espanol, oprima el numero 2. Please
stay on the line; your call is important to us and we will be with you as
quickly as possible. For faster service you can also use our automated customer
service system on the web at w... w... w... dot... com. Or if you would prefer
to leave a message, please wait for the tone.

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While typing that web address I realized how difficult it is to type just
one "w". Try it.

Thank you for calling. Please listen closely, as our menu options have changed. For quality assurance, this call may be monitored or recorded. To continue in English, press 1. Para continuar en Espanol, oprima el numero 2. Please stay on the line; your call is important to us and we will be with you as quickly as possible. For faster service you can also use our automated customer service system on the web at w... w... w... dot... com. Or if you would prefer to leave a message, please wait for the tone.

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While typing that web address I realized how difficult it is to type just one "w". Try it.

I know about the dial zero "trick" However I didn't want the "operator", I wanted service, which is the original number I called. You see, silly me thought that the number listed for service was the number directly to service. I was also complaining about the entire ridiculous process. Dialing zero would have delayed the whole processes. When I called the other day nothing worked, not "zero" not two. When I stayed on the line so somebody would help me I was disconnected.